Pneumatic feeding mechanism



2 LMLZZ Sept 3Q l 9 4 E. G. WILHELM PNEUMATl C FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 26. 1921 s sheets-.sheet l 'A Inventor Ed/wim G. WZLSZW( 1531/ @MMM 5m' Sept.. 3@ 1924, LEIQZSZ E. G. WILHELM PNEUMATlG FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 26, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sepia., 30, 1924. y. 3l,5l22

E. G. WILHELM PNEUMATIC FEEDING MECHANISM Filed July 26, 1921 ,s sheets-sheet Patented Sept., 31H3, 19241,.

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IPNEUEZIATLIC FEEDHTG- MECHANELSM. v

Application tiled. July 26, 1921. Serial No. 1167,66?.

s To all whom it may concern: Fig. 11, is a vertical longitudinal section 15 pneumatic feeding 201 quantity or material at various points.

"further object of the invention is to provide 25 outlet end will of the 30 air `and to provide valves in the to diderent portions ci "i md the air box or casing, shown in lBe it known that ll, EDWiN Gr. WILHELM, a citizen of the United States, residing at4 Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Pneumatic Feeding Mechanism, oi whichy the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic feeding mechanism for material treatin machines and particularlyy relates to fee ing mechanism ormachines for interlacing curled hair or ber.

'- 'llhe object of theinvention is to provide mechanism having means for regulating the flow of air, whereby the l loose material, as it is carried through the feeding mechanism by the blast ot air, may be directed s as to increase or diminish the a casing through which theloose material is forced by a blast oi air into a delivery tube, and to construct said tube sol that its extend the ull width of the interlacing machine, and which may be placed in a fixed position; a further object invention is to construct the casing ducts for the pipes leading to said air ducts for regu ating the quantity of air passing through the ducts, so that the material, as it passes through the casing, may be directed to diEerent-portions with separate passagevvays or 35 of theY delivery tube, or the air entirely shut ed from dilerent portions of casing Whereby more or less material may be delivered the receiving end of the interlacing machine, and thus orm a 0 uniform column of material.

yllhese, together with various novel tea-tures of construction and arrangement or the parts constitute the invention which will be more itully hereinafter described andl 'L5 claimed.

lin the accom aiiying drawings: Fig. 1, is a si e elevation of the improvedy feeding device, shown partially in section; Fig. 2, is a plan view of the deliveryv tube Fig. i, partially in section, as on line 2-2 lFig. 1, and drawn on a larger scale; l

Fig. 3, is a transverse section on line 3;-3 Fig. 2; and

A oi a casing 12 forming aseries on line 4--4 Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts, 1 represents' a machine or interlacing curled hair, or ber, having reciprocating needles 2 for interlacin'g the material as it is passed between the rolls 3 and .4. l collecting box 6 is-provided for torming the material into a rectangular column which is carried into the interlacing machine by endless beltsl 8 and 9, positioned between vertical side Walls 10. and 9 are advanced towards the interlacing machine 1 yso as to carry the column oft ma,- terial between them, and deliver it to said machine to be interlaced in a manner Well known by those skilled in the art. 'lhe improved feeding mechanism consists of air chambers and 14C having pipesl 15 arranged above the casing 12 anda series of pipes 16 arranged below the casing. Said pipes and 16 are provided with valves 18, by which the dow or air through the pipes may be regulated. 'llhe casing 12 is connected with a delivery tube 20, which is attached at one end thereof to the discharge` end of the casing 12, and theother end of said tube 20 extends adjacent to the receiving end of the collecting box 6 ot the interlacing ma.-

cliine. The delivery tube 20 forms a closed -24 is smaller in Width adapting it to be connected With the outlet end of the casing 12, which latter is et less Width than the interlacing machine, adapting the casing for use in connection with a standard form of picker 25. l

- The loose material 26 is rst passed through the picker 25, which is ot any suitable form, such as novv in general use, tor separating the material and freeing it of clumps and` deliveringJl it in loose form to the casing 12, at Whic point the loose inaterial is subjected to a blast ont air `Winch rlhe endless belts 6 drives it through the delivery tube 20, and into the collecting box 6.

A fan 28 is provided for supplying a blast of air to the feeding/device. The main supply pipe 29, from the fan, has branch pipes 30 and 31, which carry part of the air to the header 32, provided with the series of pipes 16 which are connected therewith. The main pipe 29 also has a header 33 connected therewith. The header 33 is provided with a series of thepipes 15.

The pipes 15 and 16 are each provided with a valve 1,8, comprising a box 35 forming parallel guides for the sliding valve Isilate 36 mounted in said valve boxes 35.

aid plate 36l extends out through a confined opening formed in one side of the valve4 box 35, and is provided with a handle 37 for sliding said plate to open or close the valve. The casing. 12 is provided with a central passage-way 40 formed by the interior walls 41 and 42 for the material to pass from the vpicker 25 through the casing, where it is boosted by the blast of air and discharged vao from the tube 20 with sucient force to form the material into a column in the collecting box 6.

The casing 12 is provided with vertical partitions 45 extending between the said wall 41 and the top wall of the casing 12, and

also from the said Wall 42 to the bottom wall y of the casing, thus forming separate air i. ducts 46 through the casing`12, each of which is connected with a supply pipe 15 or y 16, controlled by a valve 18. The casing 12 is of greater width at the outlet end than at the inlet end, as shown in Fig. 2. and the l vertical partitions 45 radiate slightly and of material of th 05 lects are thus separated a greater distance from each other at the outlet end of the casing, so that the partitions tend to distribute the materialevenly throughout t-he full width of collecting box 6, or the interlacing machine 1.

The casing 12 tapers towards the outlet end in vertical sectlon, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the 'outlets 47 of the air ducts or passageways 46 will be contracted, causing the air to travel at a greater speedwhere it enters the passage-way 40, formed through the central part of the casing 12, thus forcin tube 20 with great eed.

he valves 18 are prSdJvided for the purpose of controlling the feeding of the material into the collectin box 6. Should the material collect faster 1n the center of the collectingl box than at the sides thereof, the valves 18 of the passageways in the center of the casing 12 may be partiallyl closed to reduce the How of air through the central passageways, and thus reduce the quantity which will be fed into the center e collecting box 6. .If the material coltoo rapidly at the sides of the collecting the loose material through the distributing box, the valves leading to" the central passageways may be opened and the valves in the outer passage-way partially closed. By providing each of t'he air passage-ways 45 with a separate valve, the feeding device may be regulated so that the material will be blown into the collecting box 6, and form a uniform column of material` and thepmaterial will pass through the interlacing machine in uniform thickness and weight..

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Let-tersI Pat'- ent:

1. A feeding device for a material treating machine comprising a delivery tube havingits outletpositioned adjacent to the recelving end of said machine and co-extensive in width with the width of the 'receiving end of said macl1ine,'a passage-way formed in the opposite end of the said tube for the entrance of looseI material into said tube, separate airducts leading to the inlet end of Said tube, said air ducts having their outlet ai-r supply pipes connected with said .air

ducts, and -means for regulating the How of air through said separate air ducts for forcing the loose material through the said tube.

2; A feeding device for a material treating machine comprising a delivery tube having its outlet positioned adjacent to the receiving end of said machine and co-extensive in width with the Width of the/receiving end of said machine, Said tube having flaring side walls making the inlet end ofl the tube narrower than the outlet end, said tubehaving a passageway formed in the inlet end thereof for the entrance of loose material, a casing located at the inlet end of said tube, said casing having vertical partitions formin air ducts communicating with said tube, sa1d 'partitions-being positioned a greater distance apart at their outlet endss than at their inlet ends adapted to direct air into the inlet end of said tube and force the material divergently throughout the width of the tube, and means for regulating the flow of air through said ducts.

3. A feeding device for a material treating machinecomprising a delive tube having the outlet end thereof positloned adjacent to the receiving end of said machine, a casing connected with Athe delivery tube at the inlet end thereof, said tube having-flaring side walls, 'making the outlet end thereof approximately the width ofthe receiving remata dijerent 'parte et the receiving end et the said machine.

d. A feeding device for material treating machines comprising a delivery tube, having its outlet end positioned adjacent to said machine, a casing connected with the delivery tube at the inlet end thereof, a passageway formed through the casing through `*which loose material may pass into said tube, pipes for supplying air to the casing, partitions in said casing forming air ducts" lead- 'ing to the said passage-Wa' adapted to move the material through sai passage-Way and through the tube, and valves for controlling the dow oiz air through said ducts.

5. A -feeding device for a material treating machine comprising a casing, walls extending through the casing forming a passage-Way lor loose material through the 'casing, said walls dividing the casing into separate air chambers located at either side of the Said passage-way, airl supply pipes connected with said air chambers, said air chambers having outlets leading from the said air chambers into the said passage-Way for sucking the loose material through the said passage-Way and blowing it into the said machine, and means for forcing a blast of air into said supply ipes. l

6. A feeding device or a material treating machine comprising a casing, Walls eutending through the casing forming a passage-Way for loose material through the casing,l vertical partitions Within the casing forming separate air ducts adjacent to the said passage-way formed by said `walls, air suppy vpipes connected With each of said air ducts, said casing having openings formed therein leading from the separate air ducts into the said passage-Way for moving the material through the said pgebelow the casing, a series of pi' 1n the headers with each of said 'air ducts,

ture.

Way loy a blast ot air passing through the air ducts, and means 'or supplg air to the said supply pipesn 7. A feeding device for a material treating machine comprisi a casing, Walls ea*- tending through the casing to :w t

a passage-Way for loose material through the casvthe material is blown into the said machine.

8. A feeding machine comprising a source ot air supply, a picker for` receiving loose material, a casing connected With the outlet end of the picker, said casing having a central passage-Way formed therethrough, air ducts formed in said casing above and helow the said central passage-way, a supply pipe from the source of air supply, headers in said supply pipe positioned above and connectva ves for regulating the flow ot air through l the saidair ducts, said air ducts having outlet openings communicating with the central passage-Wa for ovving the `loose material through t e said passage-Way, and -a deliver tube connected With the outlet end of sai casing tor directing the material into the said ha lin testimony whereof lf a my sia- 'nnvvru e; im. 

